


Not Like Them

by sugarplumfairy



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Post-Endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-27
Updated: 2013-12-27
Packaged: 2018-01-06 07:39:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1104181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarplumfairy/pseuds/sugarplumfairy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No one was really sure what to do after the game ended. And for Terezi Pyrope, nothing seemed to turn out the way she had... envisioned. (H3H3H3)</p>
<p>And sometimes, it's really, really hard to break tradition.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Like Them

**Author's Note:**

  * For [somehowunbroken](https://archiveofourown.org/users/somehowunbroken/gifts).



Terezi moved her grip on the cane down to where it was cold against her hands. Swallowing hard, she gripped it tighter, and its familiar girth gave her comfort. Her other hand glided to the top of the cane, gently caressing the dragon’s head that rested there. 

She took a deep breath, and released the cane’s length, instead prodding it at the ground to ensure that her path was clear. She took a tentative step forward, and her heart rate began to accelerate, just as it had before she had stopped to calm it. But there was no more time for stopping now.

She licked her lips to moisten them. 

_No one said it was going to be easy, but I was the only one who could do it._

-

“But I _didn’t do it!_ ”

“OH R34LLY? W3LL TH3N, WOULD YOU L1K3 TO 3XPL41N TO M3… WHY 1S 1T TH4T YOUR D4GG3R W4S FOUND 4T TH3 CR1M3 SC3N3???”

The small, yellow-blooded troll’s eyes widened.

“That… that could be anybody’s dagger.”

Terezi threw her head back and released a cackle. “OH R34LLY??? 1N TH4T C4S3, WOULD YOU M1ND SHOW1NG US YOUR… _4BSTR4TUS???_ ”

“...”

“H3H3H3H3H3, OH, 1T WOULDN’T H4PP3N TO B3… _D4GG3RK1ND_ , WOULD 1T???”

She whirled around madly, pointing her finger at the audience. “4ND TH3R3…” She turned slowly to point her finger at the dark figure that sat in the shadows on the other side of the stage. “...1S YOUR 3V1D3NC3, S1R. H3H3H3H4H4H4H4- OH. R1GHT. YOU KNOW TH3 DR1LL- TRY TO M4K3 H1S GR4ND TYR4NNY L4UGH, 4ND YOU C4N GO FR33, SO ON 4ND SO FORTH. BUT 1T 1S H1GHLY UNL1K3LY TH4T YOU’LL B3 ABL3 TO DO SO. 1 MYS3LF H4V3 ONLY S33N 4 F3W TROLLS TH4T C4N. 4ND, NO OFF3NS3, BUT YOU DON’T R34LLY LOOK L1K3 TH3 HUMOROUS K1ND.”

The troll still stood, eyes wide in shock, mouth attempting (but failing) to form words. She looked around for some kind of comfort, but found none- not in the tense faces of the trolls in the crowd, not from the silhouette of the troll on the throne high above her. Finally, she looked to her prosecutor- but saw only her own terrified reflection in her red glasses, and a pointy-toothed smirk, followed by a black tongue that ran itself over the full, black lips.

The troll realized that the entire room had fallen silent. Everyone was waiting, watching her. She rushed to remember a joke, and blurted out the first one that came to mind.

“Why did the tomato blush?”

She instantly regretted it.

“...Because it saw the salad dressing.”

-

“G4MZ33, TH4T JOK3 W4S NOT FUNNY BY 4NYBODY’S ST4ND4RDS.”

“GAMZEE, THIS ISN’T GOING TO WORK IF YOU KEEP LAUGHING AT EVERY SINGLE SPONGEFUCKING JOKE THAT SOMEONE TELLS.”

“WeLl, iT’S NoT LiKe i cAn hElP It, BrO.” Gamzee leaned back in the chair and chuckled to himself. “SaLaD DrEsSiNg…”

Terezi turned away from him. “TH1S SYST3M 1SN’T WORK1NG. 3V3RYON3’S GO1NG FR33 B3C4US3 OUR JOLLY L1TTL3 CLOWN F1NDS 3V3RY S1NGL3 HORR1BL3 JOK3 H1L4R1OUS.”

Aradia leaned forward, placing her chin in her hands. “but gamzee’s the 0nly 0ne that can d0 it. he’s the descendant 0f the grand highbl00d.”

“1 KNOW, 1 KNOW. BUT 1T C4N’T K33P GO1NG ON L1K3 TH1S. G4MZ33, YOU H4V3 TO CONTROL YOUR G1GGL3S.”

Vriska cleared her throat, and everyone’s heads turned to her. She hadn’t said a thing throughout the entire meeting, which was an uncharacteristic behavior for her. She leaned to the side to see past her feet, which were propped up on the table. “If I may?”

Terezi raised an eyebrow at her to give her the go-ahead to speak.

“Why does Gamzee _have_ to 8e the High8lood? I mean, I’m not Mindf8ng- that ship has s8led.” She pointed a finger at Terezi. “You’re not Redgl8re. I don’t know a8out you, Terezi, 8ut I don’t plan on h8ving my 8rm cut off 8g8in!!!!!!!!”

With a huff, Vriska crossed her arms and slumped back into her chair. Terezi’s eyebrows pulled together with concern and her mouth twisted into a frown. “F3F3R1, WH4T DO YOU TH1NK?”  
Feferi, at the head of the table, gave a little sigh. “I don’t really know. I mean, I know t)(at I’m supposed to be the )(ead of this w)(ole t)(ing, but I )(onestly don’t know w)(at to do. I was always so excited to be the -Empress, but now t)(at I’m )(ere I don’t want to become the Condesce. It’s all so confusing and I just wis)( it could all work.”

With a grunt, Vriska planted her feet on the floor, pushed out her chair, and stomped indignantly out of the room. Everyone was silent for a while after she left. 

Finally, Terezi stood up. “1’LL GO T4LK TO H3R.”

-

“VR1SK4?”

“Terezi, no one gets it.”

Terezi walked over to where Vriska was sitting, with her feet dangling over the edge of the cliff. Her hands were in her lap, and she was rubbing her sneakers together. Terezi lowered herself down to sit next to her.

“Everyone’s trying to 8e the Ancestors. They want Gamzee to _8e_ the High8blood. Equius is trying to _8e_ Darkleer. Fef doesn’t want to _8e_ the Condesce, 8ut she still feels like she has to.” She turned to Terezi, her good eye wide. “Don’t they get it, Terezi? Those were _their_ adventures. That was _their_ story. What they can’t see is that it’s time to write ours!”

Terezi turned her head toward the chasm beneath the cliff. Vriska’s foot nudged hers and she lifted her head to Equius’s mansion on the other side. Vriska’s hive had been the ideal location for these meetings- relatively central, and large enough to fit them all comfortably. Vriska had been enthusiastic about it at first, but with each meeting she grew more and more taciturn. 

“1T’S R34LLY BOTH3R1NG YOU TH4T MUCH, 1SN’T 1T?”

Vriska leaned back with a sigh of exasperation. “Terezi, it’s not our pl8ce. Our ancestors were Ar8nea, and Meenah, and K8nkri and Porrim and all them. I don’t want to relive their story. I want to m8ke my own- why doesn’t everyone else?”

-

Terezi stared up towards the ceiling, the blanket pulled up under her arms, and her hands clasped on top of her chest. With a sigh, she patted around on the bed with her right hand, searching for one of the many scalemate plushies that were scattered around her room. Her hand touched a fuzzy little foot, and she pulled the scalemate closer.

She felt around on its head and snout for a while, before moving it close to her face and taking a good whiff.

“WHY H3LLO, L141SON PUMPK1NSNUFFL3.” She tucked the small orange dragon under her arm. “LOOKS L1K3 YOU’R3 GO1NG TO K33P M3 COMP4NY TON1GHT.”

She took a deep breath, nuzzling her nose into the scalemate’s fuzzy fabric. A lot of things had changed since the end of the game, but at least her scalemates were still here. 

It was an ending that no one had expected. It was… well, in short, it was almost a hard reset.

Everything was still here- all of their hives, all the trolls that had been destroyed by the meteors… with one important exception. The lusii, as well as the remaining ancestors, were missing. Everyone had a different explanation for it, but Terezi had always blamed it on “weird time shit.” 

But the question that had remained was, “What now?” A planet full of troll children, with no lusii, with no leaders? Someone had to step up.

And as it was, the twelve of them were the only ones with any clue of what was going on. The result was the Council- the twelve of them, four lowbloods, four midbloods, four highbloods- building a new world together.

Terezi rolled onto her side, hugging Liaison Pumpkinsnuffle.

Nothing had turned out the way they had hoped. Maybe Vriska was right- maybe they were relying too much on what they knew of their own ancestors. At the very least, the justice system wasn’t working the way it used to. But she didn’t know what else to do. The court system had always been a part of troll culture- anything else seemed absurd.

Terezi reached a hand out to feel around on her nightstand for a glass of water, but instead touched something cold, and made of plastic. After a while, Terezi recognized it as the phone. Humans had introduced phones to them, as a faster communication tool than Trollian.

Terezi sat up with sudden realization. The humans!

She picked up the phone and quickly ran her tongue over the number pad. She smacked her lips for a moment, memorizing the taste-locations of the numbers, before punching in a number that she had dialed many times before.

_ROS3 W1LL KNOW WH4T TO DO._

Terezi clutched the Liaison apprehensively as the phone buzzed in her ear. Finally, someone on the other side picked up and a tired but still composed voice asked a quiet “Hello?”

“ROS3?”

“Oh, Terezi.” she yawned. “What time is it over there? I thought we were almost on the same schedule.”

“W3 4R3. SORRY, BUT 1T’S 1MPORT4NT.”

“Okay.” The sound of rustling bedsheets was heard. “What’s wrong?”

“W3LL, YOU S33, TH3 JUST1C3 SYST3M W3 US3D TO US3… S1MPLY PUT, 1T’S NOT 3FF3CT1V3 4T 4LL.” As she spoke, she realized that her inquiry probably could have waited until morning. “DO YOU TH1NK YOU COULD T3LL M3 4BOUT TH3 COURTS ON 34RTH?”

“Well, on Earth- or in the United States, at least, if a citizen breaks one of our laws and is caught, then they are taken to court. The court consists of a jury pulled from the regular, law-abiding citizens, and a judge. The defense and prosecution both present their cases during the trial, and based on the evidence provided by both parties, the jury makes a decision of whether or not the defendant is guilty. Then, after a while, they convene again to decide the defendant’s punishment for their crime if they are found guilty.”

There was a pause.

“4ND TH4T’S 1T?”

“What?”

“SO, 1F YOU’R3 GU1LTY, YOU’R3 GU1LTY? NO B41LOUTS, NO S3COND CH4NC3?”

“Well, if you know enough people, I guess you could stick a few bribes in there. But that wouldn’t be fair to the system, would it?”

“WH4T DO YOU M34N BY TH4T?”

“Well, if anyone could escape punishment through such trivial means, there wouldn’t be much justice in that.”

_JUST1C3…_

“TH4NKS, ROS3. 1 TH1NK 1 KNOW HOW TO F1X OUR PROBL3M.”

Terezi placed the phone back onto the receiver, and scooted off the bed, shuffling her feet into her dragon slippers. She walked over to the window, Liaison Pumpkinsnuffle still tucked under her arm. The took the cane that was resting against the wall, and opened the window, letting the breeze ruffle her hair. 

She took a good whiff of the air blowing into her room, easily detecting the scalemates that were hung on the tree just outside. Holding the windowsill for balance, Terezi stuck the cane out, using the hooked dragon-head to pull the closest scalemate in. 

When it was within reach, she grabbed onto its foot and loosed it from the rope around its neck.

“H3LLO, SENATOR L3MONSNOUT.” She tossed him onto the bed. 

She reeled in another dragon. “DOCTOR HON3YTONGU3,” she greeted as she tossed him over her shoulder.

“1NSP3CTOR B3RRYBR34TH.”

“GOOD 3V3N1NG, DUK3 P1N3SNORT.”

“N1C3 TO SM3LL YOU 4G41N, PROF3SSOR PUC3FOOT.”

After rescuing the final scalemate, Terezi flopped back onto the bed and held all of her scalemates close. 

“4 JOB W3LL DON3, L141SON PUMPK1NSNUFFL3,” she yawned. “4 JOB W3LL DON3.”

-

“TEREZI, I THOUGHT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AT COURT.”

Terezi rapped her cane on the table, drawing the attention of everyone seated there. She cleared her throat before speaking.

“COURT H3S B33N SUSP3ND3D. TH3R3 4R3 SOM3 CH4NG3S TH4T H4V3 TO T4K3 PL4C3.”

Vriska, on the other side of the table, smirked and gave Terezi a small nod of approval. Terezi returned the smile before she began speaking again.

“W3 4R3 4LL 4W4R3 OF THE D3F1C13NCY 1N OUR CURR3NT COURT SYST3M. 1 TH3R3FOR3 PROPOS3 4 S3R13S OF R3FORMS. OR 4CTU4LLY, 1 PROPOS3 4 COMPL3T3 OV3RH4UL OF TH3 JUST1C3 SYST3M.”

She placed the tip of the cane on the floor and leaned on it, a mad smile starting to form on her face.

“JUST1C3 W1LL NO LONG3R B3 S3RV3D BY 4N 4UD13NC3 OF LOWBLOODS. 1NST34D, W3 W1LL H4V3 4 COMM1TT33 OF UNB14S3D 1ND1V1DU4LS, ON3 FROM 34CH 4R34 OF THE H3MOSP3CTRUM, WHO H34R TH3 C4S3 AND D3CID3, 4S 4 GROUP, TH3 F4T3 OF TH3 4CCUS3D. TH31R D3C1S1ON W1LL B3 F1N4L. ONC3 1T 1S M4D3, NOTH1NG W1LL B3 4BL3 TO S4V3 TH3 4CCUS3D FROM TH3 F1ST OF JUST1C3. NO B41LOUTS, NO 4PP34LS TO H1S GR4ND TYR4NNY. H1S GR4ND TYR4NNY’S ONLY PURPOS3, 1N F4CT, W1LL B3 TO 3NSUR3 TH4T TH3 TR14L 1S DON3 1N 4 F41R M4NN3R.”

Karkat stared at her with a blank expression.

“TEREZI, WHAT THE FUCK? WHERE ON ALTERNIA IS THIS COMING FROM?”

Terezi turned to face him and licked her lips, chuckling. She leaned back, and the chuckle melted into a cackle.

“OH, TH4T’S 4NOTH3R TH1NG. 1 PROPOS3 4 N3W N4M3 FOR OUR B3LOV3D 4LT3RN14.”

“W)(at?”

“B3FORUS.”


End file.
